Remedial soil restoration activity on a given work site is generally problematic due to the hazardous chemicals released into the air during a handling of the soil. Generally, work sites with such chemicals in the soil, such as tank farms, gasoline stations, manufacturing sites and other land uses, are close to populated areas and, as a result, any volatilization of the chemicals into the air may be problematic from a health standpoint. Further, as the soil is handled, dust containing the chemicals will generally be developed and disperse into the local neighborhoods and create further problems.
Another problem associated with remedial soil restoration activity is that contaminated soil is generally removed from the site and hauled to a "safer" site for proper disposal. Objection is usually raised by local communities surrounding the new site thus introducing further problems with which to contend. It is feared by the local communities in and around the new site that their area will at some future date become contaminated by the contaminated soils introduced into their local landfill site.
Further, local communities near the existing work site are reluctant to allow, or opposed to, the long-term storage of untreated soils and/or wastes at the work site in "secure" impoundments due to a fear that the impoundments may eventually leak and again expose the soils and/or wastes to the environment. Finally, it is the intent of the Congress of the United States, as stated in the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (PL 99-499), the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and many other regulatory agencies and citizens that the most appropriate response in the restoration of a work site is to treat the soil and/or waste on-site to reduce or eliminate the volume, toxicity, or mobility of chemicals in the soil and/or wastes and thereby effect a permanent remediation of the site.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide both a method and an apparatus for on-site remedial soil restoration activity which allows a work site, contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) disposed or released at the site at an earlier time and permitted to soak into the soil, to be restored through the removal of the VOCs consistent with standards promulgated by appropriate regulatory agencies.
It is further the object of the invention to provide an on-site remedial soil restoration activity which is capable of maintaining ambient air quality at the site and of complying with relevant air quality standards as promulgated by appropriate regulatory agencies.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an on-site remedial soil restoration activity which is capable of entrapping all of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that might likely become airborne during a treatment of the soil as well as entrapping soil particles that may likely adversely impact ambient air quality.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an on-site remedial soil restoration activity utilizing trailerized equipment capable of being disassembled and trucked to other locations for remedial soil restoration activity.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an on-site remedial soil activity, for work sites containing large volumes of soil to be treated over the course of long periods of time, utilizing equipment which is generally constructed on permanent foundations, but may be disassembled and trucked to other locations for remedial soil restoration activity.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an on-site remedial soil restoration activity wherein the soils, which contain the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are treated on-site and rendered harmless and thereafter collected, permitting a return of the treated soil back to the place from which it was excavated, or alternatively, to another location.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an on-site remedial soil restoration activity, as aforesaid, wherein the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are collected in a form allowing a removal of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the site for incineration or other purposes, thereby eliminating the problem associated with a placement of the organic compounds into another landfill site or the use of other less desirable disposal alternatives.